Every year in China, there is always a period of time. During which, all railway stations, long-distance bus stations and airports are extremely busy. People, who work away from hometown, will take their luggage and their children, hurriedly come back to their hometown, and get together with their parents and family members. During this period Chinese people will celebrate their most important festival- the Spring Festival.

In China, the Spring Festival is the most important festival in a year. It marks the end of the previous year and the beginning of the new year. According to historical records, along with Han people, 38 ethnic minorities in China also celebrate this festival since a long time.

春节这种习俗，在中国已经传承了几千年了，起源于农业的祭祀，就是说一年的收成完了以后，大家都要庆祝一番。

The Spring Festival as a custom has been celebrated in China for thousands of years. It originated from sacrifice ceremonies in the agricultural society. It is to say, after the harvest, people would have a celebration.

过春节，中国人也叫过年。为什么又叫过年呢？刚才说到，中国春节最初的含意来自于农业。古时候，人们把谷的生长周期称为“年”。

The celebration of the Spring Festival is also called the celebration of Nian (Year) in China. Why so? Just now, we know that the Spring Festival originated from agriculture. In ancient times, people will call a growth circle of corps as Nian.

中国的汉字写这个“年”的时候，按照古老的这个习俗就是一个人拿着一个麦穗，拿着一个禾苗、麦子。

The writing of the Chinese character, Nian(年), in the tradition way, looks like a person with a wheatear, a seedling and a wheat.

从这一点上也说明了中国春节与农业的关系。其实，关于“年”的来历还有很多传说，其中一个传说是这样的。

It also explains the relationship between Chinese Spring Festival with agriculture. In fact, there are many legends about Nian. One of them goes like this.

Old people say that, “Nian” was a monster in the sea. Every year at the eve of new year, this monster will climb ashore to destroy crops and animals. But it was afraid of fire and the sound of firecrackers. People all closed the door and fired firecrackers in the yards.

Although it is only a story, the custom of firing fireworks during the Spring Festival is still popular today. Now, people fire crackers to announce the arrival of the new year. Then, when do people celebrate the Spring Festival?

Now people in China still use two calendars. One is the Gregorian calendar. The other is the lunar calendar. From Han Dynasty, 206 BC -220 AD, people all celebrate Spring Festival at the first day of the first lunar month every year.

The lunar calendar is the traditional calendar in China. It is said the lunar calendar was created more than 2000 years ago in Xia dynasty. The whole year has 354 or 355 days. Although, since 1911, China has adopted the internationally general calendar- the Gregorian calendar. But the lunar calendar still plays an important role in the life of Chinese people.

春节是在农历每年的一月一日，但在公历上，春节日期却不是固定的，大约在公历的一月下旬到二月上旬这个阶段。

The Spring festival is the first day of the first lunar month each year. However, the Spring Festival does not have a fixed date on the Gregorian calendar. It ranges from the last ten days of January to the first ten days of February.